Q&A for How to Be a More Flexible Gymnast

There are many stretches that gymnasts should do to make sure they are flexible all over. Do whatever stretches you feel comfortable with. Just make sure that you are stretching properly and feeling a little pressure/discomfort—but not too much, or you may injure yourself.

Stretch and try the splits everyday. If that does not help try going to yoga, dance, or gymnastic classes near you.

Thirteen is not too old to begin pursuing gymnastics but you will have to work really hard to improve quickly. It might be a little harder to become flexible at this age, so you'll need to work harder and longer to bring your skills base up to scratch.

Practice on a soft area until you get it right. Ask a coach or knowledgeable friend to watch you and point out any areas you may be making a mistake.

Have someone spot you. Then, go down and do it on the wall.

You should be able to do a backbend from standing and a kick over first. Once you have that, try starting with one leg in front and go into a bridge and then kick over faster. When you have mastered that try lifting your leg a you go back and then all that is left to do is kick over.

This article should help: how to do a back handspring .

Consistently practice cartwheels, and once you're fully confident with that, add a run up. Once you've practiced that, try to add a bit of a bounce. Finally, practice your round off over and over again.

No. There are non-gymnastics articles on becoming flexible here, such as How to Become Flexible .

You need to know how to do middle splits and handstands. Start by putting your hands against the floor on a mat.

Put your hands on the ground, and push off with your legs to kick over your head.

Practice doing cartwheels on a mat or in a soft grassy area. Once you have removed the threat of a painful fall, you will gain speed and confidence in your cartwheel. Work your way up to a hard floor.

Every day do simple stretches and challenge yourself, then once you're confident, move on to harder ones, and keep doing that for at least a month. Then, move on to really easy gymnastics like a forward roll, and then continue with more advanced moves. Make sure you have someone to spot/supervise you while you get the hang of the moves.

Yes. Stretching too far, or too often, can pull muscles and cause injury. Make sure to start gently, and don't push your stretches too far. Gentle stretching before and after a workout can decrease the risk of injury.

There is no upper height limit.

Stay positive and always stretch! Stretching is the most important thing to avoid injury. Injuries are bound to happen, but you can minimize their severity.

No, but the sooner you start, the better!

If you want to go to the Olympics, yes. If you just want to be a gymnast for fun, fitness, etc., there is no age restriction.

You can simply put your hands straight by your side, and roll your shoulders forwards and backwards.

It's really never too late to start doing gymnastics, just be aware that you're probably too old to have any kind of competitive career in the sport.

If your school has a gymnastics club, you can do that, or ask people in your area if there is anywhere near you that has a club for it.

If you want to do gymnastics and compete, you will need to be flexible In all areas of your body. If you want to do it for fun and just learn basic skills, you don't really need to be flexible everywhere.

You can take classes, and stretching at home can help with improvement in gymnastics. You may also want to practice basics such as cartwheels, handstands, and rolls.

18 is too late to be an Olympic gymnast, but it's certainly not too late to pursue gymnastics for fitness and fun.

It's not impossible, but it is not going to be easy. It would have to be a top priority, and would take lots of practice and motivation.

You need to complete a back handspring for level 3, but you will most likely start learning it in level 2.

It just depends how often you stretch. The more often you stretch, the quicker you will become flexible.

See wikiHow's article on how to do an aerial cartwheel .

Being less flexible on one side is very normal. We tend to favor our dominant side, so sometimes we spend more time working on that side than we realize. Try focusing on the less flexible side at the beginning of stretching workouts to make sure you don't neglect it.

Not usually, but if you want to become a contortionist, keep practicing and taking more risks.